BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF IÑAKI GIL DE SAN VICENTE LARRAÑAGA

Iñaki Gil de San Vicente Larrañaga was born on the 18th of September, 1952 in a house placed at the hillside of Ulia, a mountain in San Sebastian. From the house, known by the name of the farm where his mother comes from, Nekazabal, in English "long plough furrow", could be seen the beautiful view of San Sebastian. But soon his family moved to the city centre, to a flat situated two hundred metres from La Concha beach. So, since he was a kid, he learnt to live looking at the infinite spaces of the Biskayan Gulf and to the sudden and beautiful changes of its storms and clouds loaded with water, wind and life. As a kid he began to frequent the various farms of his maternal family, in the wooded green area of Aia, Orio and Zarautz. That made increase the contrasts and contraditions that would impress him in his intelectual education: the rural and fishing environments as contrasted with the urban and burgeois environment of a cosmopolitan town like San Sebastian. Such contrast combined with some others: family sectors which were Basque nationalists and some others who were pro-Spain natonalist, Carlists at most.

He suffered the compulsory national-catholic and fascist education at the Sagrado Corazón school. At the age of fourteen he joined the catechism school of his parish church. In the political-religious discussions, unavoidable in that context, Iñaki adopted the same position as that of the section in favour of creatng a Basque Army. He was just fifteen. At the age of seventeen he conducted a discussion group at school. A lecture of him about the causes of Hunger in the world gave place to one of the first out-of-school tenseness in that school. In summer 1969 he was elected as President of a youth group, taking the place of the official candidature, named by the parish priest. He was arrested for the first time when he was eighteen during the state of emergency imposed during the court-martial of Burgos. He spent 54 days at the police station. Since then he suffers from various chronic ailments as a consequence of the tortures. That extremely tough experience, the jail and the exile affected him for ever.

His intelectual life has been and is inseparable from the political practical and most times immediate and urgent demands of the revolutionary, pro-Independence and communist militanty. Iñaki’s theoretical and methodological education has been and is inseparable from the long and systematic context of repression. As many other abertzales (Basque nationalists) he has prefered to sign with a pseudonym or pen name, or not to sign, to using his own name. Probably for that reason certain press written in Basque spread the rumour that the first text he signed with his own name was "Contra eurocomunismo: revolución", Ediciones Vascas, 1980. Actually written by a member of the National Executive of HB. His first comments on books in the diary EGIN were signed with the abbreviation of his surname, until he was asked to sign with his full name.

He has very diverse and extensive theoretical sources: from the core of the utopian socialism to the most up-to-date and recent conteporary left-wing contributions. However, one of his essential characteristics is the priority given to the concrete and historical to the detriment of the abstract. His texts are many times too condensed, not even letting the reader take breath, although he defends himself by saying that one thing is the propaganda slogans and the short sentences which seek to cause an immediate effect, and a very different one the crude and sheer theory, which is the one that will sooner than later be really vital.

Howere, some texts of him have been translated into Italian, German, Catalan, English and French. The one writing this lines, that has been reading, studying and critizising him for the last three decades thinks that Iñaki is a typical product of the special and maybe exeptional conditions in the Basque Country. Nothing else but nothing less.

IN THIS WEBSITE OF THE BASQUE RED NET WE PUBLISH HIS FOLLOWING WORKS:

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Ecología y feminismo en Euskadi. Communication for the debate organized by EGUZKI on Social Movements, Feminism and Ecology in the Spring of 1991. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Maastricht: ¿Cuarta reordenación?. Analysis maked in October, 1992 and published in the colective book: Carlos Taibo et alii: Maastricht. La polémica de Europa, Ediciones VOSA, Madrid, 1992. 200 pages. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: 4 textos de análisis para reflexión sobre el socialismo en el MLNV. Four works from 1993, 1994 and 1995. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: ¿Opinión pública o concienciación abertzale? Crítica constructiva de la práctica comunicativa del MLNV. Essay writed in Donostia on March 1, 1994. First digital edition for Internet by the BASQUE RED NET on December, 1999. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: El FMI y la ofensiva del capital. Published in ALDARRIKA: MB, NMF, GATT. ZER DAGO SIGLA HAUEN ATZEAN? BRETTON WOODSeko MUNDUKO BANKOA, NAZIOARTEKO MONETA FONDOA eta GATT kapitalismoaren hirutasun saindua (WB, IMF, GATT. What do those acronyms hide? The International Monetary Found, the World Bank and the GATT are the world leadership of the capitalist exploitation). May 1994, pp. 9-16. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Diez tesis sobre el GATT: ¿Fin y medio?. Published in ALDARRIKA: Observando de cerca al enemigo. Dossier FMI, BM, GATT. Seminario Erandio. 1st, 2nd, 3rd of July, 1994. pp 33-4. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: FMI y opresión de la mujer. Published in ALDARRIKA: Observando de cerca al enemigo. Dossier FMI, BM, GATT. Seminario Erandio. 1st, 2nd, 3rd of July, 1994, pp. 43-49. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Una invitación al debate sobre 10 interrogantes problematicos y 61 preguntas concretas . Text from 1994. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: ¿Qué es el fundamentalismo? Crítica del poder occidental y cristiano. Text from 1995. Recently published (1999) in Andalucía. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Reflexiones sobre la república vasca independiente. Published in EZPALA Ezker Abertzaleko Aldizkaria. Publication of the Basque Left Nationalist Movement. (Pedro Egaña, no.2-1. esk. 20006 San Sebastian). No. 2, September 1996, pp.10-20. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Lo individual y lo colectivo en el marxismo. Una aproximación a Euskal Herria. Published in Emilio López Adán et alii: Conciencia social y desarrollo personal. IPES ikastaroak. Cuadernos de formación no. 22, Bilbao, October 1996, pp. 91-134. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: LAS DROGAS, UNA INDUSTRIA CAPITALISTA Y OPRESORA, Y LA JUVENTUD ABERTZALE, text dated on February 12, 1998, and used by him in discussions with young abertzales. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Las impotencias del espionaje, control social y guerra sucia. Published in page 9 of EGIN on 26 April 1998. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Evolución y enmarque de la liberación sexual en el proceso de liberación nacional y social de Euskal Herria. Published in EZPALA Ezker Abertzaleko Aldizkaria. Publication of the Basque Left Nationalist Movement. (Pedro Egaña, nº 2-1.esk. 20.006 Donostia) nº 1998 pp 35-43. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Prologue for the second edition (first digital in Internet) of the book LA ESCISIÓN DEL PNV. EA, HB, ETA Y LA DESLEGITIMACIÓN DEL ESTADO ESPAÑOL EN EUSKADI, by Justo de la Cueva, tittled: La obra que supera al autor. Text published as critic of the first edition of LA ESCISION DEL PNV in the section LIBURUAK of EGIN on August 9, 1988. Its reproduction in this BASQUE RED NET website has been authorized by Iñaki. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: CONTEXTO MUNDIAL Y CONSTRUCCION NACIONAL. Published in EZPALA Ezker Abertzaleko Aldizkaria. Publication of the Basque Left Nationalist Movement. (Pedro Egaña,nº 2-1.esk. 20.006 Donostia) nº 9 , 1998, pp. 68-76. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Nuestro Aberri Eguna. Published in GARA on 29 March 1999. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: LAS SOCIOLOGIAS Y LA LIBERACION VASCA, text from 5 May 1999. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: APUNTES SOBRE PEDAGOGIA Y LIBERACION.UNA CRITICA DEL ORDEN EDUCATIVO EXISTENTE, text from 21 July 1999. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Aproximación sintética a la nueva oleada de luchas en el Centro capitalista. Reflexión sobre sus lecciones para Euskal Herria, text dated on September 20, 1999. A very resumed resume of this text has been published in the magazine EZPALA Ezker Abertzaleko Aldizkaria. Publication of the Basque Left Nationalist Movement. (Pedro Egaña,nº 2-1.esk. 20.006 Donostia). (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Superar... y realizar el pasado, article published in GARA on September 25, 1999. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Reflexiones sobre la situación y perspectivas del capitalismo tras la lectura de "EL LARGO SIGLO XX" de Giovanni Arrighi y breves apuntes sobre Euskal Herria, text dated by author on April 11, 2000.1st electronic edition in Internet by the BASQUE RED NET on April 3, 2001. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Contexto, coyuntura y perspectivas, article published in GARA on August 5, 2000. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: EUROPA Y SUS IZQUIERDAS (1830-2000). Reseña de una trayectoria histórica para entender la situación actual del intento de la cuarta reordenación europea (la Unión Europea), text dated on September 1, 2000 and used as initial text for a discussion of the Izquierda Abertzale. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Lógica de Estado, article published in GARA on October 14, 2000. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Capitalismo y emancipación nacional y social de género, text dated by author on November 8, 2000. 1st electronic edition in Internet by the BASQUE RED NET on January 4, 2001. (On November, 2000 the Txabi Etxebarrieta Taldea of the BASQUE RED NET made a previous paper edition). (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Algunas relaciones entre capitalismo, globalización y tecnociencia, text dated by author on January 31, 2001. 1st electronic edition in Internet by the BASQUE RED NET on February 14, 2001. (On February, 2001 the Txabi Etxebarrieta Taldea of the BASQUE RED NET made a previous paper edition). (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Nuestra república euskaldun, article published in GARA on March 27, 2001. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: RELACIONES ENTRE CONTROL SOCIAL Y ESTRATEGIA REPRESIVA. Estudio histórico y actual del proceso en Euskal Herria, text dated on March 30, 2001. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Su libertad y su canibalismo, article published in GARA on May 2, 2001. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Balance del 13 M, analisis of the election for the Basque Parliament, on May 13, 2001. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: El miedo, la teoría y el 13-M, article published in GARA on June 7, 2001. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Modos de producción, patriarcado y triple opresión, article dated on July 21, 2001. (Spanish)

Iñaki GIL DE SAN VICENTE: Ocho tesis sobre las drogas (a marxist analisis). Article published in GARA on August 7, 2001. (Spanish)